Why Does My Fondant Sag & Start To Bubble?
Decorating By hperez Updated 27 Sep 2011 , 6:25am by bellacakecreations
i AM EXPERIENCED WITH FONDANT AND MOST OF MY CAKES COME OUT FINE, except THERE ARE A FEW TIMES WHEN after i FONDANT A CAKE, A FEW HOURS LATER, EVEN THE NEXT DAY THE FONDANT STARTS TO SAG, LIKE EXTRA SKIN. I DONT KNOW WHY THIS HAPPENS ESPECIALLY WHEN I FIRST PUT IT ON IT WAS NOT LIKE THAT. HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE? ANY SUGGESTIONS?
This just happened to me yesterday. I posted today a few posts back ..."why do I suck at fondant" if you want to check it out!!!! Good luck.
I am not sure why this is happening to you, but maybe your fondant is not sticking properly. Do you spritz it with a little water or anything like that first?
"like extra skin"
your cake has entered "middle age"
it's the same reason you're going to (if you haven't already) SAG as you get older:
GRAVITY
it wins every time.
-----
some things that help:
1) let cake completely settle before putting on the fondant so that there is little to no sagging due to settling after the fondant's on
2) roll out fondant thinner so there is less to sag
3) put less BC under the fondant so there is less that can squish and shift as gravity does it's thing.
4) use a stiff (the stiffer the better) BC so it shifts less due to weight of fondant
5) cover cakes just with base layer of fondant. Let gravity win. Give cake a "fondant lift" by trimming off excess and then add finishing touches.
-----
it's not nice to fight with Mother Nature -- she ALWAYS wins!
"like extra skin"
your cake has entered "middle age"
it's the same reason you're going to (if you haven't already) SAG as you get older:
GRAVITY
it wins every time.
-----
some things that help:
1) let cake completely settle before putting on the fondant so that there is little to no sagging due to settling after the fondant's on
2) roll out fondant thinner so there is less to sag
3) put less BC under the fondant so there is less that can squish and shift as gravity does it's thing.
4) use a stiff (the stiffer the better) BC so it shifts less due to weight of fondant
5) cover cakes just with base layer of fondant. Let gravity win. Give cake a "fondant lift" by trimming off excess and then add finishing touches.
-----
it's not nice to fight with Mother Nature -- she ALWAYS wins!
soo..I should give up the gravity fight!... never!
Edna
what about those littlew bubbles that seem to appear out of no where
aka "cake farts"
didn't settle long enough to release the air trapped between the layers when torted and filled.
cakes still cold when fondant put on. Air inside cake still cold. Cold air takes up less space. Cake warms, air expands, cake farts!
Then why do people say to fondant a cold cake...or to flash freeze them? I did both...one in july which I left out on the table all night, then put fondant on (not cold). Then one yesterday that was in the fridge!! They both sagged. WHAHHHHHH. Do you use all shortening buttercream? I want to practice, but when my tiers are not stacked, they are fine. If I make a 3 tier cake for practice, it will be expensive. I guess I have to practice anyway.....maybe with smaller cakes!!! Thanks!
what about those littlew bubbles that seem to appear out of no where
aka "cake farts"
didn't settle long enough to release the air trapped between the layers when torted and filled.
cakes still cold when fondant put on. Air inside cake still cold. Cold air takes up less space. Cake warms, air expands, cake farts!
Aaaaahhhhh Doug you make me laugh!
Try chocolate ganache under your fondant instead of buttercream. It is less 'smooshy' and is MUCH firmer. Then mix 50/50 apricot jam with boiling water to create a syrup (Planet cake recipe), which you brush over the ganache once it's set. The fondant sticks to it instantly... can't be squished... and won't go anywhere. Tastes way better too!
Try chocolate ganache under your fondant instead of buttercream. It is less 'smooshy' and is MUCH firmer. Then mix 50/50 apricot jam with boiling water to create a syrup (Planet cake recipe), which you brush over the ganache once it's set. The fondant sticks to it instantly... can't be squished... and won't go anywhere. Tastes way better too!
This sounds yummy think I will give it a go
Just make sure your dark chocolate ganache is a ratio of 50/50 cream/chocolate. And your white chocolate is 2 parts chocolate 1 part cream. It won't work if it's too thin... or thick. You have to bring the cream to a boil first, then mix it in the chocolate.... leave it to set to a peanut butter consistency then spread on (same way as buttercream). Once it hardens (it will set quite firm), then use a knife dipped in boiling water to create a perfect finish. I was lost before I found this method. It's BRILLIANT. I know a few have raved about it... because it ROCKS. It's like covering a dummy cake. I learnt the method of this site and am now telling everyone I know!
bel-anne....thanks for that tip...let me make sure i understand...use white chocolate ganache instead of buttercream, then cover the set ganache with 50% apricot jam/50% boiling water. should i let the syrup set on the cake for awhile or cover immediately with the fondant? and this make a more smooth surface the the set buttercream? does it also eliminate the little bubbles? thank you so much for taking the time to tell me this! =)
Well, You can use either dark chocolate ganache or white chocolate ganache. Dark is obviously for your mud's ect and white tends to lend itself to banana, coconut, strawberry flavoured cakes ect. Your white chocolate ganache can also be coloured/flavoured if you want. It's important to know (and I've learnt this the hard way) that you need more chocolate to cream when making the white ganache and the dark is roughly 50/50. If your ganache sets too hard (because you didn't use enough cream) it will be hard to work with. But you can always add more melted chocolate or boiled cream (must bring cream to the boil first) to alter the consistency (you'll figure it out). But yes, You put it on the same way as buttercream (I also torte my cakes with it), smoothing the ganache as best you can. Let it set overnight, then run a hot knife over the cake to smooth it out. It creates a perfect finish. Make the apricot syrup and brush it over the cake right before you cover it. Don't leave it too long or it will dry. Then cover the same way as buttercream.. smoothing with a smoother. I rarely get the bubbles, but when I do a small pin prick and rubbing gently over the area usually gets rid of it. Anyway, give it a go - it'll rock your world! haha. Thank you Planet Cake!
YOU rock girl! thanks for your help...by the way i LOVE australia...lots of good friends there
I know this topic is VERY VERY old, but this is happening to me as we speak. Hubby says to put the cake back in the fridge (it's been out since this morning) in order to stop the bubbles. It's due tomorrow and I'm unsure what to do. I'm afraid my city is going to fall off my cake!!!!
Used a very light coating of King Arthur Flour's recipe of Fluffy White Frosting, mostly shortening, let it crust in fridge, then put MMF on it. I started decorating the cakes exactly 10 hours ago and the city part is all bubbly, meanwhile the Spiderman face (top layer) never came out of the fridge except to fondant it, then back in.
It's over 90 degrees here and high humidity, so keeping the cake out all day and night isn't feasible. It's due tomorrow at 1pm.
Any ideas? I want to pop the bubbles with my xacto knife or a needle, but not sure if I should keep it in the fridge or not. I was thinking if I did, it would just happen tomorrow anyway when I give it to my client.
I use a small pin or toothpick. Then I rub a little shortening over the hole. It helps smooth things out an fills it in a little.
Hi, i was the one that made this post a couple years ago and I just saw the newest reply to it. This summer I was able to make a cake with no cake farts!! Yay! It only took me a couple years to figure it out Anyway. I let the cakes settle crumbcoated overnight on my counter...no fridge!! I used thick icing in the middle. I used wilton because that is what my daughter requested ! The next day I covered the cakes with massa ticino fondant and I poked a hole with a skewer in the top and the sides of the cake where i knew I would be putting a decoration. I watched the cake all day and did not have any bubbles. On other thing i did differently was that i applied the fondant when the cake was on a table. i used to have it on a large coffee can.
I think the massa ticino fondant is a big deal for me here in Pittsburgh because the weather makes everything turn into soup. I also think that using plain old crisco based BC helped in my case and letting the cake settle overnight unrefridgerated!!! I am no pro, but I hope this helps. I was really excited to make a cake that did not melt and bubble in this weather!!!
Just make sure your dark chocolate ganache is a ratio of 50/50 cream/chocolate. And your white chocolate is 2 parts chocolate 1 part cream. It won't work if it's too thin... or thick. You have to bring the cream to a boil first, then mix it in the chocolate.... leave it to set to a peanut butter consistency then spread on (same way as buttercream). Once it hardens (it will set quite firm), then use a knife dipped in boiling water to create a perfect finish. I was lost before I found this method. It's BRILLIANT. I know a few have raved about it... because it ROCKS. It's like covering a dummy cake. I learnt the method of this site and am now telling everyone I know!
Ummm, not to contradict, but your ganache recipes are wrong for using under fondant. Dark choc should be 2:1 choc & cream, milk & white choc 3:1. That's what Planet Cake teach and what I've been using for years. Your recipes are for filling cakes. Just an FYI!
did u try to thin out your icing? Or u could be over beating or kneading your icing? I'm new to this so this is what was told to me .. Maybe it will help? lol
I know this is an old post but I did a 3d spongebob cake last Sat. and was so proud. He looked fantastic and I was done 4 hours early....then the face began to sag. I had to take it apart completely and redo it all. The second "face" was rushed and wasn't as good as the first. I couldn't figure out why. I used the "durable cake" recipes to make sure they were carvable and I used stiff BC. My cakes were frozen too - which is something I had been told to do and immediately put on the fondant. Still I ended up restacking and adding extra support in the layers. I am definitely using the ganache this time. I had only done single tiers ganache cakes mainly for the chocolate lovers but I think it will help tremendously. Glad to know I'm not alone.
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